Cop jailed for 30 years over Rs 20 bribe dies a day after being acquitted

Lawyer Nitin Gandhi, who represented Babubhai Prajapati, told the court that the entire case was built on suspicion rather than evidence. (AI-generated image)

A police constable in Gujarat who spent three decades fighting a corruption case over an alleged Rs 20 bribe died of a heart attack a day after the Gujarat High Court acquitted him, bringing a belated end to a case that began in the mid‑1990s.

The man, identified as Babubhai Prajapati, was cleared of all charges by the Gujarat High Court on February 4. He died of natural causes the very next day, his lawyer told NDTV.

“The stigma has been removed from my life. Even if god takes me away, I will have no sorrow,” Prajapati told those around him after the verdict.

What happened in 1996

Prajapati was serving as a police constable in Ahmedabad when allegations were made in 1996 that he had accepted a bribe of Rs 20. The case was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A chargesheet was filed the following year, in 1997. The case, however, moved slowly. Charges were framed only in 2002, and witness hearings began in 2003.

In 2004, a sessions court convicted Prajapati and sentenced him to four years in prison, along with a fine of Rs 3,000. He challenged the conviction before the Gujarat High Court.

Appeal pending for 22 years

Prajapati’s appeal remained pending in the high court for 22 years.

On February 4 this year, the court finally pronounced its judgment, acquitting him of all charges. In its order, the court said there were serious contradictions in the statements of prosecution witnesses and that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Lawyer Nitin Gandhi, who represented Prajapati, told the court that the entire case was built on suspicion rather than evidence.

‘He was very happy after the acquittal’

After the judgment, Prajapati visited his lawyer’s office.

“When he came to the office yesterday, he was very happy because he had been acquitted,” Gandhi said. “I told him, ‘uncle, you should apply for all the benefits you are entitled to from the government.’”

Prajapati then returned home.

“I called him again the next day, only to be told he died of a heart attack,” the lawyer said.

Story triggers anger over stark inequalities in the justice system

As the story spread over social media, it triggered angry reactions online, with users pointing to what they described as stark inequalities in the justice system. Several users said it was tragic that he did not live long enough to see the practical consequences of his acquittal or reclaim the years lost to the case.

“For Rs 20 bribe, he went to jail? But a lot of people are just continuing the same job after a few days or months of suspension even after taking bribes worth crores,” one X user wrote.

Another commented: “Big people steal millions. Nothing happens to them. One small guy gets accused of taking Rs 20 bribe, and is subjected to a trial for 30 years, only to come outside and die.”

Some questioned accountability. “Who will pay for his life? Judiciary, government, police?” one post asked, while another said the case reflected a system where “everything has value except human life”.